Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it advised the operators of the Barra to Glasgow air link that the public service obligation in respect of that route would be for a period of one year, and whether it sought the agreement of the operators to the introduction of the one-year period and, if so, when and from whom it did so.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive consulted a number of interests on the continued imposition of a Public Service Obligation (PSO) on the Glasgow to Barra air service. Any discussions with the current operator of the service are commercially confidential.

Audiology

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any proposals for a degree course based in Scotland for the education and training of audiologists have been delayed.

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when a BSc degree course for the education and training of audiologists will be in place in Scotland.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31280 on 18 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Blind People

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to help blind people in the light of the Royal National Institute of the Blind campaign report, Changing the Way We Think About Blindness .

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive is hosting a seminar on 11 December 2002, Community Care Services for Adults with Sensory Impairments - Shaping the Future. This will provide us with a sound basis for developing an action plan of short-, medium- and long-term goals to take forward common interests for adults with a sensory impairment in respect of community care services. The RNIB campaign report will be taken into account in progressing the wider agenda.

Careers Scotland

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to the Renfrewshire Council area as a result of the creation of Careers Scotland in each year from its inception and what such funding was spent on.

Iain Gray: On the establishment of Careers Scotland, the Executive made available to Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise funding it had previously directed at a range of conjoining agencies. In the SEn area, this amounted to a total of some £30 million. The proportion of that total devoted to the Renfrewshire Council area and the manner in which it has been deployed are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise. That said, Careers Scotland’s delivery is shaped by the targets the Executive has set. These address our economic development, social inclusion and education priorities and cover:

  increasing the number of disadvantaged young people continuing in post-compulsory education or training;

  increasing the proportion of school-leavers will a positive approach to the world of work;

  increasing the number of disengaged adults actively engaged in learning and training, and

  reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

Child Care

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £24 million child care package was allocated to the Renfrewshire Council area and how the money was distributed.

Cathy Jamieson: In July 2001, £24 million additional resources for child care were allocated through the child poverty package over 2001-04. The money was allocated as follows:

  £8.5 million was made available for child care grants for lone parents in full-time higher education to pay for child care. This grant is administered through the Students Awards Agency for Scotland. The Scottish Executive does not hold information on awards made by local area under this grant scheme.

  £7.5 million was made available to further education colleges throughout Scotland to widen child care provision, based on locally identified needs. Responsibility for administering this money lies with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. Information on awards made by this body is not held centrally by the Executive.

  £8 million was made available to local authorities to help stabilise and sustain out-of-school care projects, especially in disadvantaged areas. The money was allocated over a three-year period as £2 million in 2001-02, £3 million in 2002-03 and £3 million in 2003-04. Of this, Renfrewshire Council was allocated £48,600 in 2001-2 and £72,800 in 2002-03 and 2003-04. Allocation of this money within the Renfrewshire Council area is a matter for Renfrewshire Council as they have responsibility for the allocation of funds at a local level. The information requested is not held centrally.

Children's Hearings

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in light of the special report on children’s hearings by the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals.

Cathy Jamieson: I intend to respond to the report in the near future.

Children's Hearings

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale has been set by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration within which all children’s hearing centres must meet the property standards schedule.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration advises that it aims to have all core properties compliant with the property standards schedule by October 2004.

Children's Hearings

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the role of reporter to children’s hearings is standardised throughout Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: The standardisation of the role of the reporter is primarily a matter for the Principal Reporter. It is responsibility of the Principal Reporter to ensure consistency of practice. Practice guidance is currently under review.

Children's Hearings

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held on any children’s panel recommendations that are not implemented owing to lack of local authority funding and by whom any such information is held.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not hold any such information. The responsibility for giving effect to decisions by children’s hearings rests with local authorities.

Children's Hearings

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has that supports the reported suggestion in the special report on children’s hearings by the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals that social work departments may have "tailored their recommendations to their resources rather than what was in the child’s best interests".

Cathy Jamieson: Individual children’s hearings can review social work recommendations as part of their decision-making process. Once the children’s hearing determines the child’s needs and makes a decision, it is the duty of the local authorities to give effect to the decision. We have no direct evidence of the practice suggested in the report.

Concessionary Travel

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are expected to benefit from the free off-peak local bus travel scheme for elderly and disabled concessionary card holders in Paisley North.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Courts

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time is during which civil actions currently remain at avizandum in each sheriff court district.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is not possible to provide meaningful figures for all sheriff court districts. Figures throughout the year will vary according to the volume of business and the complexity of cases. The availability of part-time sheriffs is also a factor in securing writing days for permanent sheriffs to complete written judgements. Sheriffs Principal monitor avizandum lists and they take such action as they can to secure completion of written work within reasonable time.

Crime

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage change there has been in recorded crime levels committed against older people in the Renfrewshire Council area in each year since 1996.

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage change has been in recorded crime levels in disadvantaged areas in the Renfrewshire Council area in each year since 1996.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Dairy Produce

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure country-of-origin traceability for milk products.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the packaging of all milk products within the EU must have a health mark which indicates the country of origin among other things. Milk products imported into the EU must be accompanied by a health certificate signed by the competent authority of the exporting country.

  The Food Standards Agency is encouraging country of origin labelling for a wider range of food on retail sale, and has recently revised its guidance for industry.

Dairy Produce

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the sustainability of milk production.

Ross Finnie: The Executive supports the continuation of milk quotas which is the main element of the EU support regime providing market stability. We will continue to fight for the interests of Scottish dairy producers in the current discussions under the Mid-Term Review of the Common Agricultural Policy, which is considering alternative future arrangements for quotas and dairy policy more generally.

  The Executive has funded, at a cost of £50,000, a strategy document titled Pooling Resources – A Strategy for the Scottish Dairy Industry (2001-2006), and will shortly be discussing its implementation with the Scottish Milk Forum. Research results due out early next year will also highlight the reasons why milk prices in the UK, including in Scotland, are consistently lower than the EU average.

Dental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any health risks associated with mercury amalgam fillings in teeth.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The most recent scientific advice given to the UK Health Departments by the Committee of Toxicity of Chemicals in Foods, Consumer Products and the Environment, is that use of dental amalgam fillings is free from risk of systemic toxicity and that only a few cases of hypersensitivity have occurred. While there is no scientific evidence that the use of dental amalgam is related to adverse effects on pre- and post-natal health or fertility, the Executive recommends that amalgam should not be used in the dental treatment of pregnant women.

  The most effective reduction in the use of dental amalgam fillings would be through a reduction in the current levels of dental decay experienced by the Scottish population. The Executive is currently seeking views on preventative measures aimed at reducing the high incidence of oral disease amongst Scotland's children, through its consultation document, Towards Better Oral Health in Children.

Drug Misuse

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for driving whilst under the influence of drugs in (a) Scotland and (b) each police force area in each of the last three years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the following table. Offences of driving while unfit through drugs cannot be separately identified from offences of driving while unfit through drink in the statistics held centrally. The statistics on court proceedings in 2001 are expected to be published later this year.

  Offences of Driving While Unfit Through Drink or Drugs With a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts, by Police Force Area, 1998-2000

  

 Police Force Year 
of Sentence  1998
1999 2000
 Central
8 13
10  Dumfries and 
Galloway 6
4 9
 Fife 24
24 37
 Grampian
45 47
44  Lothian and 
Borders 62
70 57
 Northern
7 7
7  Strathclyde
191 197
222  Tayside
61 39
55  Scotland
404 401
441

Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what increases in the proportion of children that attain the appropriate levels in reading, writing and maths by the end of Primary 2 and Primary 7 there have been in the Renfrewshire Council area since 1996.

Nicol Stephen: 5-14 attainment data are available from 1998-99.

  Data on pupils’ performance up to 2000-01 is already available in the 5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded Schools News Releases (Bib. numbers 25343 and 18788). The data for 2001-02 will be published on 4 December 2002.

Employment

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of working age people have been unemployed in the Renfrewshire Council area in each year since 1996.

Iain Gray: The annual average percentage of working age people who have been unemployed in the Renfrewshire Council area in each year from 1996 to 2001 is shown in the following table:

  
 Year Annual 
Average %  1996*
6.2  1997*
5.1  1998*
4.8  1999*
4.4  2000
3.8  2001
3.4 

  Note:

  *The annual average percentage of unemployed working age people will be subject to revisions for 1996 to 1999 when revised mid-year population estimates become available from analysis of the 2001 census.

Employment

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase the employment rates of disadvantaged groups, such as lone parents and ethnic minorities, in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Iain Gray: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.

  Both the New Deal for Disabled People and New Deal for Lone Parents are available on a voluntary basis in the Renfrewshire Council area. Additionally, people who face particular disadvantage may be granted early entry to other New Deal programmes without having to complete the qualifying period of unemployment.

  A new initiative, called progress2work, to help people with drugs problems will shortly be introduced by Jobcentre Plus into the Renfrewshire Council area. A further initiative along the same lines is being developed for other harder to help client groups.

  Early entry to the Training for Work programme is available to a wide range of groups who are particularly disadvantaged in the labour market, including lone parents, people with disabilities, those aged 50 and over and individuals resident in social inclusion partnership areas.

  Also there are individual New Futures Fund projects in Renfrewshire which help clients facing particular difficulties in entering the labour market.

Employment

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the gap in unemployment rates between the worst areas in the Renfrewshire Council area and the average rate of unemployment for Scotland as a whole and what the reduction in this gap has been in each year since 1996.

Iain Gray: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.

  The whole range of New Deal programmes are available to all unemployed working age people in the Renfrewshire Council area who meet the qualification criteria. The Scottish Executive's Training for Work programme is also available on a voluntary basis to those aged 25 and over who have been unemployed for six months or more. In addition, there are some New Futures Fund projects available in the Renfrewshire Council area.

  The worst performing 10% of wards in Renfrewshire between 1996 and 2001 consist each year of four of the following six wards: Ferguslie, St James, Shortroods, Sandyford, Foxbar and Millarston. All of these wards form part of the Paisley Social Inclusion Partnership - Training for Work allows early entry for those clients resident in a social inclusion partnership.

  The following table compares Average Residence Based Claimant Count Unemployment Rates for Scotland and the worst 10% of wards in Renfrewshire (detailed above). It can be seen that overall the percentage point gap between the annual average residence-based claimant count rates for Scotland and the worst 10% of wards in Renfrewshire has been reduced from 10.7 in 1996 to 6.5 in 2001.

  
 Year 1. 
Scotland 2. Worst 10% of Renfrewshire 
Wards* % Point 
Difference Between 1 and 2  1996
7.6 18.3
10.7  1997
6.3 16.1
9.8  1998
5.7 15.7
10.0  1999
5.3 14.4
9.1  2000
4.9 12.6
7.7  2001
4.3 10.8
6.5 

  Note:

  *All the rates in the table will be subject to revisions in 2003. This is because they are dependent on information from mid-year population estimates and the Labour Force Survey. Revised mid-year population estimates will become available from analysis of the 2001 census and the Labour Force Survey will then be regrossed. This will give new estimates of economic activity.

Enterprise

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the names and addresses are of each recipient of payments made under the Business Growth Fund.

Iain Gray: This is an operational matter for the Enterprise Networks.

Fire Service

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether armed forces personnel expected to stand in during the Fire Brigades Union strike will have access to the existing fire service engines in Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Fife.

Hugh Henry: Arrangements have been made to enhance the capability of MoD contingency plans by making available a number of red engines ("red goddesses") from the Scottish Fire Service Training School to add to the 110 green goddesses in Scotland. We have also been in touch with Fire Authorities in Scotland to ask for their assistance in making further "red goddesses" available. As a result of these actions, a total of 27 red engines have been provided for deployment by MoD.

Fisheries

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 30 October 2002, what scientific data is available on the impact of power station seawater coolants on fish stocks; whether it is estimated that two million fish per day per filter are killed, and what information it has which countries have banned the use of sea water coolants at power stations and what the EU policy is on this issue.

Allan Wilson: Scientific assessments have been carried out at selected power stations around Scotland. The results of the studies show that some fish are being killed when power stations abstract water, but a figure for fish killed per filter per day cannot be extrapolated from the data. A relevant scientific report titled, Are coastal power stations affecting Northern European inshore populations? , of which a copy is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 25349).

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of industrial fishing on white fish stocks in Scottish waters.

Ross Finnie: North Sea white fish stocks are stocks common to EU and Norwegian waters and assessments are carried out at North Sea level. The Scottish Executive has carried out no assessment of the impact of industrial fishing on North Sea white fish stocks.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it plans to make, either directly or through Her Majesty’s Government, to the Danish Government regarding any benefits to white fish stocks in Scottish waters of decommissioning Danish industrial fisheries.

Ross Finnie: I will be holding confidential discussions on a range of pertinent issues with Commission, Presidency and other member states over the next few weeks including in the margins of the November Council.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of EU white fish quota is fished by Scottish registered vessels, broken down by species.

Ross Finnie: Quotas are allocated to UK Fish Producer Organisations and uptake of these quotas by these organisations is monitored centrally. It is the responsibility of the Producer Organisations to allocate quota to individual vessels within their membership. Consequently, fisheries departments do not hold records of the quota allocated to individual vessels.

  There are seven Fish Producer Organisations that are administered in Scotland. For the calendar year 2001 their share of the EC White Fish quota by species was as follows:

  Table 1: Percentage of 2001 EC White Fish Quota Allocated to Scottish Producer Organisations by Species

  
 Species
Percentage of 2001 EC Quota 
Cod 10% 
Haddock 56% 
Whiting 25% 
Saithe 11% 
Plaice 6% 
Sole 1% 
Hake 2% 
Anglerfish 19%
 Megrim
12%  Lemon sole 
and witch flounder 37%
 Skates and rays
35%  Dabs and flounder
2%  Turbot and 
Brill 4% 
Spurdog 62% 
Pollack 2% 

  Notes:

  2001 EC quota as at 15/12/2000.

  Excludes quota for Faroese waters.

  Includes EC quota stocks with no UK interest.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it or the former Scottish Office had to the Ernie Walker think-tank on Scottish football set up by the Scottish Football Association (SFA); what updating it has sought to any previous input that it had, and what monitoring of this issue has been carried out.

Mike Watson: None, but we understand that the streamlining of decision-making processes within the SFA in recent years followed acceptance of recommendations made by the Independent Review Commission chaired by Mr Walker.

Genealogy

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that family history research is included within current tourism training.

Mike Watson: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland. VisitScotland are well aware of the attractions of family history research, not least using the internet, to certain potential visitors to Scotland who can then be encouraged to come to see for themselves the places where their forebears lived and worked. To this end, I launched the website ancestralscotland.com in January and more recently the Secretary of State for Scotland, launched it in Australia and New Zealand.

General Practitioners

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making on the new general practitioner contract, and whether the introduction of such contracts will require legislation and, if so, what the timetable for this is.

Malcolm Chisholm: Negotiations on the new GP contract are on-going and at this stage it would be inappropriate for me to comment in detail on the need for legislation to implement the eventual agreement. The framework document published in April this year stated that phased implementation will take place from April 2003, or earlier if possible, recognising the requirements for primary legislation and consequential secondary legislation before full implementation.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an immediate review of its policy on GM crop trials following the publication of the British Medical Association’s submission to the Health and Community Care Committee of 20 November 2002 on the health impact of GM crop trials.

Ross Finnie: No. The farm-scale evaluations offer an opportunity to collect valuable ecological information that will better inform future decision taking. The expert advice is clear that these evaluations can be conducted without threatening human health or the environment. As such, the Executive's support for the evaluation programme is seen as a sensible and precautionary approach to this issue.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in view of the British Medical Association’s submission to the Health and Community Care Committee of 20 November 2002 on the health impact of GM crops, it is following the precautionary principle in relation to GM crop trials.

Ross Finnie: The precautionary principle is applied where a scientific assessment has identified the possibility of harmful effects from a particular action or where there is ambiguity.

  The GM crops that have been released in field trials in Scotland have been subjected to a thorough scientific risk assessment prior to their release. There is no ambiguity in the scientific advice to ministers that these crops do not pose a threat to either human health or the environment. If any such evidence was to emerge, we would have no hesitation in withdrawing consent for the release and halting the field trials.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a programme of health monitoring of people that live around current GM crop trial sites.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: There are no scientific grounds to suggest that the GM crops grown in farm trials in Scotland pose a different health risk to local populations than that posed by conventional crops. However, we maintain a watching brief in this area and, should emerging scientific evidence support a change in this position, we will reconsider the need to implement an appropriate, effective and evidence-based health surveillance programme.

  I am acutely aware of the need to maintain vigilance and have effective monitoring systems with regard to new and emerging hazards to health from whatever source they might originate.

Glasgow Harbour

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of community participation is planned for the Clyde waterfront regeneration project and the Glasgow Harbour development.

Iain Gray: In recognition of the importance of community participation in the Clyde Waterfront regeneration proposals, the Clyde Waterfront Working Group has established a Community Regeneration Sub-Group. This sub-group will look specifically at the impact of on-going regeneration activity on the Clyde Waterfront communities (covering housing, labour access, skills development and community engagement), and collate information on good practice in linking developments to job opportunities.

  Through Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow Harbour development has applied for over £10 million in European Regional Development Funding. An offer of grant, if made, is likely to contain a condition that a local labour market plan is developed. The council is working towards a strategic approach to maximising the training and job opportunities for local residents of social inclusion partnership areas.

  One of the key themes of Clydebank Re-Built Ltd (the company formed from the Clydebank Taskforce to transform Clydebank) is an Inclusive Clydebank to improve the experience of the people who live, work, learn and invest in Clydebank. Clydebank Re-Built Ltd will use the Place Check Approach to ensure appropriate community participation and have applied for Urban II funding to cover the costs. Urban II is a European programme directed at areas of particular disadvantage specifically targeting social inclusion and ensuring community participation in local projects.

Health Statistics

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people in the Renfrewshire Council area have improved their health by (a) reducing (i) smoking and (ii) alcohol misuse and (b) improving their diet and what reduction there has been on mortality rates from coronary heart disease in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: Mortality rates per 100,000 population from coronary heart disease in the Renfrewshire Council Area 1996-2001:

  
  Crude 
Rate Per 100,000 Population  1996
282.8  1997
272.1  1998
257.0  1999
286.1  2000
254.6  2001
242.4 

  Source: General Register Office for Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Rates are calculated using the Registrar General’s annual mid-year estimates of population which are being revised following the 2001 Census results. The figures for 2000 and 2001 use provisional revisions that have already been made on this basis. Revisions covering 1982-2000 will be made by end-February 2003, so the rates given here will be subject to revision after this time.

  2. The rates given are not age-sex standardised.

  Representative information on trends in smoking, alcohol misuse and diet for Renfrewshire Council area are not available centrally.

Higher Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to increase the proportion of students in higher education that are from under-represented, disadvantaged groups and areas in (a) Scotland and (b) the Renfrewshire Council area in each year since 1997.

Iain Gray: There has been a wide range of measures introduced by the Executive since 1997 to increase the proportion of students in higher education (HE) from under-represented, disadvantaged groups and areas. These include:

  Funding an additional 2,800 full-time equivalent places in higher education institutions

  Waiving fees for all eligible full-time Scottish students at Scottish institutions

  Providing bursaries of up to £2,000 p.a. for young full-time students from low income families

  A Wider Access Bursary Fund for mature full-time students

  Fee waiver for unemployed or low income student on part-time courses

  Access to loans for part-time students

  Child care support

  Piloting of Education Maintenance Allowances designed to encourage more young people from low income households to remain in full-time education which are now being rolled out across Scotland

  Introduction of a widening access premium for institutions to help support students from non-traditional backgrounds

  Introduction of a disability premium for institutions to help support students with disabilities

  Introduction of New Access Partnerships to encourage institutions to develop innovative partnerships with the private sector to widen participation

  Support for developments to provide higher education in rural communities such as the designation of UHI Millennium Institute and the collaboration at Crichton Campus.

  In addition to these measures, young people in the Renfrewshire Council area, along with other schools in the West of Scotland, also benefit from the Greater Opportunities of Access and Learning with Schools (GOALS) project which provides a spectrum of opportunity for school pupils, aged 10 to 18, to learn about and become familiar with higher education. Targeted at schools with low rates of progression to HE and involving all the higher education institutions in the West of Scotland, the project aims to stimulate pupils towards achievement at school and ultimately, to progress to higher education and a rewarding career.

Historic Sites

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent review of care for the historic environment, as proposed by Scottish Environment LINK.

Dr Elaine Murray: I met representatives from Scottish Environment LINK in June when we discussed, among other things, their tentative proposals for an audit of the historic environment in Scotland. LINK are now discussing this issue with my officials in Historic Scotland and we are awaiting a paper from LINK that sets out the aims and objectives they would propose for such an audit. A decision on whether there is a need for an audit in Scotland will be taken once these proposals have been received, evaluated and costed.

Homelessness

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to the rough sleepers initiative (RSI) in the Renfrewshire Council area since the inception of the initiative and how successful the initiative has been.

Ms Margaret Curran: Renfrewshire Council received a total of £438,400 in RSI grant in the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 for the provision of a team of outreach and resettlement staff, support staff for rough sleepers with mental health problems, and the reprovisioning of Paisley Social Christian Action Centre to provide self contained flats for people at risk. A further £103,181 per annum has been transferred to the council's Revenue Support Grant to ensure the continuation of services addressing the needs of rough sleepers in the area.

  In May 2001 the total number of people identified as sleeping rough in Renfrewshire in the two-week period covered by the study was 11. In the same two-week period in 2002 the number was seven. The weekly average number of people sleeping rough fell from two in May 2001 to one in May 2002.

  Renfrewshire Council is currently preparing its Homelessness Strategy, and revising its RSI local outcome agreement. In doing so, it has been asked in particular to address the apparent slight shortage of direct access accommodation available for rough sleepers and to consider how to improve access to existing available accommodation.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SEsj073/2002 of 7 November 2002, what the timetable will be of the proposed consultation period on the Scottish Standard for Social Housing, including the proposed start date and closing date for submissions.

Ms Margaret Curran: I indicated in my statement to Parliament on 7 November that we would begin this consultation by the end of the year. The consultation will adhere to the normal Executive practice of allowing three months for comments.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SEsj073/2002 of 7 November 2002, when it plans to publish (a) the final definition of the Scottish Standard for Social Housing and (b) the target date by which the standard is to be achieved.

Ms Margaret Curran: As my statement to Parliament on 7 November made clear, the final definition of the standard and the setting of a target date for meeting it will require full and careful consultation with local authorities, Registered Social Landlords and others. That process will begin shortly.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to the establishment of multi-agency public protection arrangements for the purposes of assessing and managing the risks posed to local communities by sexual and violent offenders and other persons considered to be persons that may cause serious harm to the public.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill currently progressing through the Parliament provides for the establishment of a new public body, the Risk Management Authority (RMA). The authority will be a centre of expertise in the fields of risk assessment and risk minimisation. One of the RMA’s key functions will be to provide the framework for the multi-agency assessment and management of the risk posed to the public by sexual and violent offenders.

Legislation

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22241 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 February 2002, what the results were of its consultation relating to future changes to the discount rate.

Mr Jim Wallace: The planned consultation paper relating to future changes to the discount rate has not yet been issued. The Executive has postponed this so that it might form part of wider consultations on damages, taking account of recent developments, that we plan to carry out during 2003.

Local Government

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many New Futures Fund projects have been funded in the Renfrewshire Council area and how much has been allocated to each such project since the inception of the fund.

Iain Gray: There are four New Futures Fund projects in Renfrewshire. Of these, only Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health was funded from inception of the fund, with the others coming on stream during Phase 2. Details of the projects are as follows:

  
 Project
Contract Value (totals) 
Phase 1 Phase 
2  Inverclyde Community Development 
Trust 0
£200,000  Renfrewshire 
Addiction Forum 0
£450,000  NCH Scotland
0 £70,000
 Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health
£205,000 £250,000

Local Government Finance

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive on what assumptions and calculations the estimate of an extra £200 million investment for council housing was based, as referred to in the ministerial statement on housing by the Minister for Social Justice on 7 November 2002, including (a) the extra investment that will be raised for each year from 2004 to 2006 and (b) the local authorities assumed to be eligible for the prudential borrowing regime.

Ms Margaret Curran: The figure of £200 million is our broad estimate of the additional borrowing that the Prudential Regime might permit in Scotland as whole. It is based on the assumption that 20-25% of the rental income currently used for capital investment purposes could instead be used to support additional borrowing. However, as I made clear in my statement it is up to individual local authorities to decide for themselves what, if any, additional borrowing the Prudential Regime might allow. For that reason, I am unable to answer parts (a) or (b).

Major Events Strategy

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the development of Scotland’s Major Events Strategy.

Mike Watson: The First Minister announced this morning the publication of the Major Events Strategy and that a new body called EventScotland would be established to take forward implementation. The strategy and the news release which accompanied the First Minister’s announcement are available through the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Ministerial Meetings

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which meetings of the (a) European Council, (b) Council of the European Union, (c) Coreper and (d) EC committees and working groups and which informal meetings of the Council of the European Union held under the Danish Presidency it has attended to date; how many representatives attended each meeting, and which minister, or what grade of official from which department or agency, attended.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scottish Executive ministers attended the following council meetings held under the Danish Presidency between 1 July and 30 November:

  
 Date Meeting
Minister  23-24 
September Agriculture and Fisheries Council 
(Brussels) Ross Finnie 
14-15 October Agriculture and Fisheries 
Council (Luxembourg) Ross Finnie
 17 October
Environment Council (Luxembourg) Ross 
Finnie  11 November
Education, Youth and Culture Council (Brussels)
Elaine Murray  26 November
Competitiveness Council (Brussels) Iain 
Gray  27-28 November
Agriculture and Fisheries Council (Brussels)
Ross Finnie 

  Officials have attended the following additional meetings held under the Danish Presidency between 1 July and 31 October, which is the period for which information is currently available:

  


Date

Meeting

Department  1-2 
July Working Group on the reform of the Common 
Fisheries Policy. ERAD 
2 July Working Group Danish Presidency 
programme of work in the energy field FCSD
 3 July
International Environment Issues: Preparation for World Summit on Sustainable 
Development FCSD 
9-10 July Working Group on Fisheries Control
ERAD  15 July
Working Group on Vocational Education and Training 
FCSD  16 July
Working Group on Market access to Ports Services Directive
FCSD  22-23 July
Special Committee for Agriculture - Mid-term Review of the Common Agriculture 
Policy FCSD 
24 July  Working Group on Cereals
ERAD  25 July
Working Group on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
ERAD  27 July
Working Group on the impact of enlargement on fisheries
ERAD  2-3 September 
JHA Working Group JD 
5 September  Working Group on Internal 
market - Science and Technology regional statistics
FCSD  9 September 
Working group on Youth  FCSD
 10 September 
Working Group on Energy - biofuels and Intelligent Energy for Europe programme
FCSD  12 September
Working Group on Common Fisheries Policy Review
ERAD  16 September
Working Group on Mid-term review of the Common Agriculture Policy
FCSD  17 September
Working Group on Vocational education and training
FCSD  18 September
JHA Working Group JD 
18 September  Working Group on field inspections 
under the 2000 and 2001 Arable Area Payment Scheme
ERAD  19-20 September
Police Co-operation Working Group  JD
 19-24 September
Fisheries Research ERAD 
19 September  Working Group on Common 
Fisheries Policy Review ERAD 
24-26 September JHA Working Group
JD  25-26 September
Working Group on EU-Iceland fisheries negotiations 
ERAD  26 September
Working Group on Common Fisheries Policy Review
ERAD  27 September
Working Group on Agricultural Structures & Rural Development
ERAD  27 September
Working Group on Biotech Action Plan FCSD
 2-5 October 
Fisheries Research ERAD 
2 October  Education Working Group
ED  4 October 
JHA Working Group  JD 
5-9 October  Conference on crime prevention 
 JD 
6-10 October  Fisheries Research
ERAD  7 October 
Special Committee on Agriculture - discussion on mid-term review of CAP
FCSD  7 October 
Fisheries Research ERAD 
7-8 October  Special Committee on Agriculture 
 ERAD 
8-9 October  JHA Working Group 
JD  8 October 
JHA Working Group  JD 
9 October  Working Group on Biotech Action 
Plan FCSD 
9-10 October  Fisheries Research
ERAD  12-18 October 
Fisheries - coastal states meeting on blue whiting
ERAD  14-23 October 
Fisheries Research ERAD 
18-23 October  Fisheries Research
ERAD  21 October 
Working Group meeting on e-Europe 2005 FCSD
 21-23 October 
Fisheries - EU project meeting (OMEGA) ERAD
 21 October 
JHA Working Group  JD 
22-23 October  Fisheries Research
ERAD  28-30 October 
Fisheries - coastal states meeting on mackerel
ERAD

Ministerial Meetings

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which meetings of the (a) European Council, (b) Council of the European Union, (c) Coreper and (d) EC committees and working groups and which informal meetings of the Council of the European Union that are still to be held under the Danish Presidency it will attend; how many representatives will attend each meeting and which minister, or what grade of official from which department or agency, will attend.

Mr Jim Wallace: Decisions on attendance at these future meetings will be taken on a case by case basis, depending on the agendas for the meetings and their relevance to the Scottish Executive.

Museums and Galleries

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support has been provided to support the development of education services, including the production of digital and other education resources, in museums, galleries and sites in the care of Historic Scotland in each year since 1999, as referred to in key priority 2.2 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past .

Elaine Murray: The financial support provided to the National Museums of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland by the Scottish Executive from 1999-2000 to 2003-04 is set out in the following tables. Increases in running costs were awarded in November 2000 to allow the National Museums of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland (among other things) to address access to their collections through the development of education and information and communications technology (ICT) services in line with the National Cultural Strategy. The proportion of funding to be used for these developments is not prescribed by the Executive.

  

Year National 
Museums of Scotland Grant (£ million)
Total Grant-in-Aid (£ million) 
Running Costs Purchase 
Grants Capital Grants
 1999-2000
13.517 0.710
2.164 16.391
 2000-01
12.517 0.710
1.200 14.427
 2001-02
14.367 0.710
1.304 16.381
 2002-03
15.567 0.710
1.200 17.477
 2003-04
16.517 0.710
1.200 18.427


  

Year National 
Galleries of Scotland Grant (£ million)
Total Grant-in-aid (£ million) 
Running Costs Purchase 
Grants Capital Grants
 1999-2000
7.225 1.560
1.800 10.585
 2000-01
7.125 1.260
2.800 11.185
 2001-02
7.925 1.260
5.254 14.439
 2002-03
8.275 1.260
2.750 12.285
 2003-04
8.625 1.260
0.500 10.385


  The financial support provided to Historic Scotland and used to support the development of education services, including the production of digital and other education resources, is set out in the following table.

  
 Year
Historic Scotland Education Service (£)
Total (£)  Staff 
costs Resources
 1999-2000
40,000 30,000
70,000  2000-01
53,000 33,000
86,000  2001-02
92,000 105,000
197,000  2002-03
97,000 55,000
152,000 

  In March 2001, the Scottish Executive awarded additional resources of £850,000 over the three years 2001-02 to 2003-04 specifically for ICT and educational development in the non-national museums sector.

  The Executive gave £120,000 in 2001-02 to SCRAN (Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network) under its National Cultural Strategy commitment to secure the future of SCRAN.

  In the Scottish Budget 2003-06, the Executive has announced a further £10.8 million over three years for cultural activities across Scotland, to widen participation and foster world class activity.

NHS Finance

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the third party development of health premises is considered as a private finance initiative or public private partnership project and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Malcolm Chisholm: The third party development arrangement is considered to be neither a private finance initiative nor a public private partnership. It is an additional reimbursement route available to General Practitioners (GPs) which was introduced to encourage private developers to build health care premises in areas that traditionally have not been attractive to such developers. Premises developed in such areas are then leased to GPs at or below a prescribed rent based on the approved development cost.

NHS Finance

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which health premises have been provided by third party development in each year since 1999; what the capital costs and revenue consequences were in each case, broken down by NHS board area, and who has the head lease for each of these premises.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

  However, 19 projects providing modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation for GP practices are understood to have been completed under the third-party development arrangement. Detailed information can be obtained from individual trusts on those health premises funded using the third-party development arrangement and the capital and revenue consequences.

  Increasingly GPs are located in property from which other health care or social care is being provided. Dependent on local circumstances a head lease can be taken by any of the occupants although Primary Care Trusts are not encouraged by the department to assume the role of head lessee.

NHS Spending

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the funding for NHS contract occupational health services was allocated using the Arbuthnott formula and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: NHS boards are given a unified budget calculated under the Arbuthnott formula. This allows each individual NHS board to decide the level of funding to allocate to meet the costs of services they provide including occupational health for the NHS staff they employ.

NHS Spending

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional capitation for teaching was allocated to each NHS board in each year since 1998-99.

Malcolm Chisholm: Details of Additional Cost of Teaching (ACT) allocations made to the four teaching boards are as follows:

  
  1998-99(£ 
million) 1999-2000(£ 
million) 2000-01(£ 
million) 2001-02(£ 
million) 2002-03(£ 
million)  Grampian 
16.524 16.774
17.024 17.274
17.524  Greater 
Glasgow  27.184
27.184 27.184
27.184 27.184
 Lothian 
23.748 23.748
23.748 23.748
23.748  Tayside 
 16.635
16.885 17.135
17.385 17.635


  It is for the four teaching boards to make the appropriate financial arrangements with those NHS trusts responsible for the hospitals where teaching takes place.

NHS Spending

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Arbuthnott formula is applied to additional capitation for teaching allocations.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Arbuthnott formula does not apply to the resources which are allocated to NHS boards to meet the additional costs of teaching.

National Library of Scotland

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been provided to the National Library of Scotland to assist in the development of its information and communication technologies facilities in each year since 1999, as referred to in key priority 2.2 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past .

Dr Elaine Murray: The financial support provided to the National Library of Scotland by the Scottish Executive from 1999-2000 to 2003-04 is set out in the table. Increases in running costs for 2001-02 to 2003-04 were awarded in November 2000 to allow the National Library of Scotland (among other things) to address the development of the hybrid library and education and access initiatives in line with the National Cultural Strategy. The proportion of funding to be used for these developments is not prescribed by the Executive.

  
 Year
Grant (£ million)
Total Grant-in-Aid (£ million) 
Running Costs Purchase 
Grants Capital Grants
 1999-2000
8.737 0.958
2.100 11.795
 2000-01
8.737 1.058
2.100 11.895
 2001-02
9.706 1.058
0.604 11.368
 2002-03
9.856 1.058
2.750 13.664
 2003-04
10.056 1.058
0 11.114


  In the Scottish Budget 2003-06, the Executive has announced a further £10.8 million over three years for cultural activities across Scotland, to widen participation and foster world class activity.

Post Office

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Your Guide project will be rolled out to post offices across Scotland.

Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30292 on 5 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Post Office

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received from Consignia or Her Majesty’s Government about how many post offices are expected to close in Scotland as a result of Consignia’s restructuring plans and how many such offices will be in the (a) Glasgow City Council and (b) South Lanarkshire Council area.

Allan Wilson: I understand from the Department of Trade and Industry that there is no pre-determined closure list. Under the Code of practice. Post Office branch relocation, closure and conversion agreed between Consignia plc and Postwatch (November 2001), Post Office Limited is required to consult Postwatch and other interested parties on its specific proposals for changes.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, why the residual value of HM Prison Kilmarnock is not shown in the value of tangible assets held in East Ayrshire.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Scottish Prison Service (SPS) for an explanation. I am advised that the reversionary interest value for land which is managed as part of the PFI contract is included in SPS’s balance sheet under the heading tangible assets in accordance with both accounting standards and Treasury guidelines. Its omission from the table given in response to question S1W-30175 was therefore in error, for which I apologise.

  The location and value of the tangible land assets of SPS, including the aforementioned reversionary interest, is as listed in the following table:

  
  As 
at31 March 2000(£000)
As at31 March 2001(£000)
As at31 March 2002(£000)
 Aberdeen City 
1,800  1,900 
 2,059  
Aberdeenshire  1,250
1,066 1,180
 Angus 
272 302
308  Clackmannanshire 
 713
1,131 1,226
 Dumfries and Galloway 
641 500
522  East Ayrshire
1,111 244
259  East Dumbartonshire 
 169
67 72
 Edinburgh 
9,915 31,202
35,556  Falkirk 
 3,060
4,833 6,012
 Glasgow 
5,207 4,860
5,262  Highland 
 504
460 490
 Inverclyde 
1,238 1,050
1,161  North Lanarkshire 
 203
253 257
 Perth and Kinross 
2,658 6,122
6,571  South Lanarkshire
244 -
-  Stirling 
3,633 3,819
4,139  West Lothian 
 141
125 136
 Grand Total
32,759 57,934
65,210

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-28889 and S1W-31081 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 October and 8 November 2002 respectively, how it was able to show a total budget and underspend for HM Prison Cornton Vale if total budgets for individual prisons do not exist.

Mr Jim Wallace: I regret that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) have offered two answers to questions which are inconsistent. The answer to question S1W-28889 should have made clear which budgets were delegated to individual establishments, what they covered and what expenditure relating to establishments was budgeted for centrally. I have instructed SPS to respond in this manner to future questions.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30376 by Mr Jim Wallace on 31 October 2002, whether the figures given in the answer include charges incurred as variables Ga and Gb, defined in paragraph 6 of schedule E to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  No. Variables Ga and Gb relate solely to additional prisoner places and SPS pays only for such places that are occupied.

Public Transport

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing the Bus Users Complaints Tribunal.

Lewis Macdonald: Provision for the establishment of the Bus User Complaints Tribunal was made in section 41 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. Detailed regulations setting out the operational framework for the tribunal were made on 22 April 2002 in the Bus User Complaints Tribunal Regulations 2002.

  Since the regulations came into force on 23 April 2002, Scottish ministers have appointed a Convener and two members to the tribunal and the Executive has been engaged in resolving a number of legal, financial and administrative issues to enable the Tribunal to begin work early next year.

Racial Equality

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its Race Equality Scheme.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive’s Race Equality Scheme was published today and copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Rail Network

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision of Her Majesty’s Government and the Strategic Rail Authority to reduce the South Central rail franchise from 20 to seven years, and subsequent indications from UK Ministers and the Strategic Rail Authority that other passenger rail franchises may be reduced, will affect the award of the Scottish passenger rail franchise, and what its current policy is on the duration of the next Scottish franchise.

Lewis Macdonald: Specification of the terms on which the Scottish passenger rail franchise is let is a matter for the Scottish ministers. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) published its Franchising Policy Statement on 6 November 2002. Ministers are currently examining the SRA’s proposals, and we will write to the Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee on these matters shortly.

Renewable Energy

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of new houses with solar/photovoltaic tiles.

Ross Finnie: We have no such plans. However, the Executive is committed to promoting the development of a range of renewable energy technologies. We have already funded a photovoltaic project at a new ferry terminal under our Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme. We have also put in place a Community Renewables Advisory service to stimulate more renewables development across our communities. We expect solar projects to benefit from the support and expertise which this new service will offer.

Road Signs

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30382 by Lewis Macdonald on 5 November 2002, who would meet the costs of changing or altering signage alongside trunk roads after proposals for a change or alteration had been submitted by a local authority and approved by the Scottish Executive.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to my letter of 19 September in reply to her letter of 5 September on this matter, in which I explained that any costs associated with changes to trunk road signing requested by a local authority to reflect local needs will require to be met by the local authority, except where the signs in question are due to be replaced as part of the routine sign maintenance programme.

Schools

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £1 billion to rebuild and refurbish schools was made available in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Nicol Stephen: We have offered financial support to 15 local authorities to enable them to take forward school PPP projects with a total capital investment value of £1.195 billion. Renfrewshire Council’s share of that figure is £100 million.

Scottish Executive Publications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30877 by Lewis Macdonald on 18 November 2002, whether the cost for Changing Speeding Behaviour in Scotland: An Evaluation of the 'Foolsspeed' Campaign is inclusive of VAT.

Lewis Macdonald: Yes.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any markers appointed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority for the 2002 examinations diet were not currently serving teachers of at least three years experience.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority sets the pass and grade boundary marks for the Higher Still exams for which it is responsible by (a) mapping the distribution of marks actually gained (i) against a normal distribution curve with a single peak, (ii) against a normal distribution curve with two peaks with different "Y" values or (iii) using a different mathematical algorithm and, if so, what the details are, (b) setting and fixing, within a small adjustment range, the expected standard of answer that will earn the necessary marks prior to marking or (c) any other method.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority has disregarded any candidate’s course work in determining awards in 2002 under Higher Still and, if so, in what subjects and for what proportion of candidates.

Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that past Scottish Qualifications Authority exam papers are published and available for sale timeously.

Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Sexual Offences

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it gives to organisations providing support to the victims of sexual offences.

Mr Jim Wallace: Our Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund is providing £117,659 this year to organisations that specifically support victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse. In addition, a section 10 grant of £100,000 is being provided to enable a national office to be established for the Scottish Rape Crisis Network.

  Victim Support Scotland is funded by the Executive to provide support, information and advice to all victims of crime, including those who have been victims of sexual offences. In 2002-03 this funding amounts to £2.8 million.

Smoking

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a performance indicator on smoking cessation in the new general practitioner contract.

Malcolm Chisholm: Negotiations on the new GP contract are being taken forward on a UK basis by the NHS Confederation, representing the four UK Health Departments, and the UK General Practitioners Committee (GPC). As negotiations are currently on-going, it would be inappropriate for me to provide details of what is being discussed at this stage.

Social Welfare

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce the proportion of working age people living on low income in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Ms Margaret Curran: People of working age in Renfrewshire Council area will continue to benefit from recent changes in tax and benefits. The UK Government is helping to make work pay through tax credits and the National Minimum Wage.

  Working in partnership, the UK Government and the Scottish Executive offer a range of welfare to work initiatives to help people of working age. Across Scotland, the New Deals are helping more unemployed people on benefits to find work. As set out in Smart, Successful, Scotland the Scottish Executive’s enterprise strategy places an emphasis on improving learning and skills which will help improve the earning potential of working age people on low income. Local projects such as the community-based partnership Buddies for Learning Project, which provides literacy and numeracy support to adults in the social inclusion partnership areas in Renfrewshire, are helping local people to remove the barriers to employment.

  In addition, the Scottish Budget for 2003-06 as announced by the Executive will further help working people on low incomes through funding increases in areas such as skills and learning and entrepreneurship.

Social Welfare

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of working age people has been living on low income in the Renfrewshire Council area in each year since 1996.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31572 on 27 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sport

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in deciding on a new location for the headquarters of sport scotland.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether sport scotland intends to re-locate its headquarters to North Ayrshire and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the re-location of the headquarters of sportscotland.

Mike Watson: We will soon receive and consider a report from the consultants commissioned by sport scotland to review their property portfolio as well as examine the scope for developing a new national centre in partnership with other bodies. That will help inform our decision on the future location of sport scotland’s headquarters.

Waste Management

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it plans to allocate to local authorities in respect of the requirement on them to dispose of refrigerators containing ozone-depleting substances in an environmentally-secure manner.

Ross Finnie: In my reply to question S1W-23475 on 7 March 2002, announcing grant for 2001-02, I confirmed that the Executive would provide additional funding to local authorities to assist them with costs arising from the new regulations on the disposal of fridges, freezers and other domestic appliances containing ozone depleting substances. I can now confirm that the Executive has allocated £3.3 million for 2002-03 to assist with these additional costs. This funding will be allocated to local authorities as set out in the following table:

  
 Local Authority
Allocation  Aberdeen 
City £119,770 
Aberdeenshire £196,608
 Angus £81,138
 Argyll and Bute
£83,108  Clackmannanshire
£27,531  Dumfries 
and Galloway £128,295
 Dundee City
£80,212  East Ayrshire
£73,496  East Dunbartonshire
£60,281  East Lothian
£58,555  East Renfrewshire
£48,717  Edinburgh 
City £255,132 
Eilean Siar £29,379
 Falkirk
£82,212  Fife
£208,286  Glasgow 
City £340,484 
Highland £199,211
 Inverclyde
£46,193  Midlothian
£48,429  Moray
£61,909  North 
Ayrshire £84,144
 North Lanarkshire
£180,301  Orkney 
Islands £21,495 
Perth and Kinross £107,147
 Renfrewshire.
£98,758  Scottish 
Borders £87,244 
Shetland Islands £25,309
 South Ayrshire
£75,317  South 
Lanarkshire £183,568
 Stirling
£64,381  West Dunbartonshire
£52,083  West Lothian
£91,305 

  Not only will this new funding assist councils in meeting their obligations but it will also contribute to a higher quality of life for local communities by reducing the potential for discarded fridges to be abandoned illegally.

  The specific grant resources this year will be distributed using the existing GAE distribution formula for waste disposal. From next year, support for local authority expenditure on the disposal of fridges will be included within the general local government settlement, using the same distribution formula.